NOVEMBER 25, Proverbs 6:6-8

Ants are remarkable creatures. They live in colonies. You have the queen ant which lays eggs, the soldier ant which guards the nest, and the worker ant which scavenges for food and brings the food back to the nest. Ants are also social creatures. They move about in swarms. When one ant finds food, it lays a trail of chemicals that enables other ants to follow. They are also very cooperative, together, they can lift huge pieces of food. Ants store their food in the nests to keep them dry. Ants go about their work most efficiently and do not procrastinate. God has put instinct into the ant to do so. Has anyone seen a lazy ant? What can we learn from the example of the ant in Proverbs 6:6-8?

Proverbs 6:6 says ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:’ The word ‘sluggard’ refers to a person who is habitually lazy. Such a person who is a sluggard is told to go to the ant and learn its ways in order to be wise. Now what are the ways of the ant?

Proverbs 6:7-8 says “Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” Notice that the Bible says that the ant has no guide, overseer and ruler. A guide is someone who teaches you or guides you in your work. An overseer is someone who oversees your work, i.e., to make sure you do the work and a ruler is a person who issues orders and expects your obedience. The Bible says that the ant does not have these three persons who guide, oversee and rule over them. Yet they are able to provide their meat or food in the summer and gather food in the harvest. Summer is a time when the weather is dry and it is easy to move about and when food is plentiful. The ants busy themselves all summer collecting food. Then during the harvest, which is autumn, they do the same. In winter, when the weather is cold and the ground is covered with ice, they will not be able to move about freely, neither is there any food to be found. Ants will hibernate and having eaten enough food, it will enable them to last the winter. Such is their diligence through instinct given by God.

Thought: Are you diligent like the ant?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for providing us with the example of diligence seen in one of your creatures, the ant. May Thou help me overcome my laziness. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.